Fire damages Nugent's Tavern in Elizabeth

Joe Proudman/The Star-LedgerElizabeth firefighters begin to pick up hoses outside Nugent's Tavern, which caught fire Saturday morning. The fire started in the basement. Two people were treated for smoke inhalation.

ELIZABETH — Nugent’s Tavern, a landmark watering hole on Elizabeth’s Newark Avenue, was damaged by a basement fire this morning and will be closed for the foreseeable future, a city fire official said.

The three-alarm blaze, called in just after 10 a.m., slightly injured two residents of apartments above the bar, Deputy Chief Andy Sandoukas said this afternoon. The residents were treated for smoke inhalation, he said.

The bar was closed when the blaze sparked, Sandoukas said. It appears the fire originated among refrigeration compressors. It spread to a first-floor back room, he said.